𝚍𝚛𝚞𝚐𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚘𝚕𝚏 [1]

meeting the family

—

Ryder should be at least the slightest bit worried, considering her grades weren't the best, but she technically wasn't failing any of her classes. She was holding on tight to the D+ she had in math. And even if she was, she knew her dad wouldn't be too hard on her about it, she was grateful that she was gifted parents who tried to understand her and understand why she was struggling to focus in school.

As she jumped out of Austin's car, the boy taking slow steps behind her, she froze at the sight of her mother sitting in the passenger seat, Josie by her window rambling on.

Locking eyes with her father, she immediately demanded to know what was wrong.

"Everything's okay. She wanted to get out of the house."

"She told you that?" Her voice raised, both excitement and worry in her tone.

"More so showed me. I told where we were going and she got dressed." Aaron explained, his eyes traveling to the woman, watching her with soft eyes.

"Is she okay?" She remembered how earlier that morning her mom was a lot more out of it than she normally was, it was the reasoning behind why she was so down that day.

"She's feeling better." He promised, "Who's this?"

"Is that Austin?!" Josie's ecstatic voice broke though, the girl quickly apologized to Romona as the woman winced at the shouting in her ear.

"It's nice to meet you." The George boy walked forward, placing his hand in front of him, only for Josie to awkwardly stare at it.

Clearing his throat, he pulled his hand away, glancing in the direction of Aaron.

The man looked mean, but Austin saw the way he looked at his wife and spoke to his daughters.

"Hello, sir."

Aaron says nothing, worrying the teen slightly, only for him to soon laugh in his face.

He cackles loudly, earning embarrassed looks from his daughters as they move to get Romona, their mother, from the car. The woman could walk on her own, she could do plenty of things by herself, but the girls still felt the need to help her.

"You should've seen your face! You looked so spooked!" The man practically had tears in his eyes as he laughed. Austin let's out a nervous chuckle, looking to Ryder for help. The girl only smiles in his direction.

Josie gasps slightly as her arm in gently shoved away from Romona's. The older woman walks forward, looking Austin in the eyes, smiling gently at the sparkling blue color.

Smiling brightly at her, the teen pushes his hand forward, another attempt to properly introduce himself.

He immediately took note of how Aaron's joyful expression dropped when he got too close. He went to drop his hand and apologize, only for a cold hand to grasp his own.

Romona didn't say anything.

She definitely could've, but she chose not to. Only letting her soft hand touch his in a short greeting, then turning her attention to her husband, a silent way of saying that she was ready to go inside the school.

Josie's shocked laugh knocks Ryder out of her thoughts.

"She likes you!" The thirteen year old cheered, running after her parents, leaving Ryder and Austin in the parking lot.

"That couldn't have went better." Austin smiled, eyes gleaming as he looked down at the girl, "you think?"

Ryder chuckles at his happy expression, shaking her head, her voice was slightly scratchy as she looked up at him,

"I'm gonna go."

"Yeah." He nods, heart pounding as he stares into her eyes, "I'll go home too."

"Okay." She smiles.

"Okay." He whispered back, he held eye contact, almost daring her to break first. Neither of them moved as they stared, he noticed the raise of her right brow, blinking harshly while looking away.

Ryder hums, "I'll see you tomorrow, Austin."

He watched her walk away, letting out a breath of air while raising a hand to his chest, "I'll see you tomorrow."

•••

"Ryder is a relatively good student. Aside from the fight she had last week, shes never had much behavioral problems."

Romona nudges her husband to speak up, "Fight? What fight?"

"A couple of girls attacked her in hall way, we felt no need to call you guys, a very responsible student came forward and informed us that the fight was far from Ryder's fault."

"You didn't think to inform us that our daughter got jumped?" Aaron asked through clenched teeth, his blood boiling at the thought of someone touching his kid.

A second nudge from his wife has him cutting the teacher off, "Did she win?"

"Uhm-" The man stutters, "I don't think it's appropriate for me to be speaking of this."

"Did she win or not?"

"She broke someone's nose." The teacher said in a low voice, flinching at the way Aaron's hand slams against the desk as he laughs.

•••

"You got in a fight?" Josie, the ever so curious teen, asked. She was definitely one for eavesdropping, not really caring if she got caught or not.

"Shut up, Josie." Ryder mumbles, "It was barely a fight."

"The teacher guy said you broke someone's nose." She laughed, "I wouldn't take you as a fighter, Ry. Does your boyfriend know?"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Does he know?" She repeats, eyes rolling as she sat straight in her seat.

"Yeah."

The youngest pouts teasingly, leaning closer to her face, "Aww, did he help you?"

"Go away, you moron."

"Don't call you sister a moron." Aaron said almost as soon as he opened the door.

"Whatever." Ryder rolls her eyes, "Am i in the clear?"

"How smart is that Austin kid?"

She shrugs, "I don't know. Why?"

"You definitely need a tutor." He teased, laughing at the blank look that falls across her face.

The family walks outside, Aaron continuing his talk with the oldest daughter, "You're smart, you just don't do your work. Do you think Austin would tutor you?"

"If she asked him he would probably buy her the moon." Josie giggled, her mom smiling at the sound.

"Stop it." The Miller girl deadpanned, "I don't need a tutor."

"You don't. However, this could be a win win for both of us. Me and your mom learn more about your future boyfriend and you get your grades up."

"For the love of God." Ryder groans,

Romona's soft laugh is heard from her seat in the car, Ryder's faux mad attitude quickly disappearing at the beautiful sound. While her mother didn't speak much, the sound of her laughter was enough to make up for her unnatural silence that was caused all those years ago.